Improved folding chair



UMITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. W. VAILL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED FOLDING CHAIR..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,132, dated April 7, 1863.

To a/Z whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, E. W. VAILL, of the city and county of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Camp- Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view ot' my improved chair as unfolded for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of it folded.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

My present invention relates to a certain improvement in the chair for which a patent was granted to me on the 6th day of January, 1863, as the assignee of J. D. Merriam, of Ashburnham, Massachusetts.

The said improvement consists, first, in the combination, with such chair, of a hinged and foldin g back, whereby a chair of given height may be packed within smaller space, as will be hereinafter described; and, second, in a peculiar manner of hinging the said back.

In order that others skilled in the art to which .my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and the mode of using it.

A A represent the back and D D the front legs, which are made in curved form, of ash, walnut, or any other suitable hard wood. The back legs, A A, are connected together at their upper and lower ends by bars or rounds B l5', which have tenons formed on their outer ends to fit mortises in the legs. The pieces D D, which form the front legs and back of the chair, are of nearly double the length ofthe legs A A, and are connected together at top and bottoln, respectively, by a band or back piece, H, and bar or round E. About midway between the board I-I and round E ot' the pieces D D is a bar or round, F, to which a piece of canvas or carpeting, G, is attached at one edge by tacks or small screws. The opposite edge of the canvas or carpeting is attached in a similar manner to the cross-bar or round B, and forms, when the legs are spread apart, a yielding'seat or bottom to the chair. So far the chair is similar in construction to that described in my patent before alluded to. The upper parts, D D', of pieces D D, which constitute the front legs and back of the chair, are in my present improvement jointed at d d, close above the round F, hinges J J being applied to the front edges of the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The said hinges are securely attached by plates or flanges 7' j, let into the frame and held by bolts or pins j 7". By reason of the peculiar position and secure attachment of the hinges J J and the Obliquity of the joints d d, the back is rendered as rigid and secure against backward pressure as if no joint existed, while at the same time it may be readily folded forward to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the dimensions of the folded chair correspondingly reduced.

The manner shown of attaching the hinges by plates or anges j j let into the wood aifords greater security, and at the same time produces a much neater finish than is attainable with hinges externally secured.

I am aware that it is common to construct folding camp chairs and stools with hinged and folding backs, and therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming this device, broadly; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The application of the folding back D H to a camp stool or chair, such as described in Letters Patent granted to me on the 6th day of January, 1863.

2. In combination with a camp stool or chair, substantially as herein described, the hinges J J, applied to the front edges of the back pieces, D', and legs D, and secured by anges or plates j j, let into the wood and bolts, pins or screws passing transversely through the same, as specified.

The above specification ot' my improved folding chair signed this 28th day of February, 1863.

E. W. VAILL.

Witnesses:

A. P. DAMoN, G. J. HAVEN. 

